Tobacco-knife



(No Model.)

' P. J. BERNARD.

' 110111111011 KNIFE.

110. 449,031. Patented 11111.24, 1891.

NITED STATES PETER J. BERNARD, OF UNION HALL, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,031, dated March 24,1891.

Applicata nea November 1, 189ex Serial No. 370,065. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER JASPER BER- NARD, of Union I-Iall, in the county of Franklin and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Tobacco-Knife, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a knife designed more especially for harvesting tobacco-plants,

lbut adapted for cutting or pruning other vegetable growths; and the invention has for its obj ect to provide an inexpensive, substantial, and efficient knife of this class which maybe used most conveniently for a prolonged period without cramping or disabling the hand of the operator.

The invention will first be described, and then will be particularly defined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved tobacco-knife, and Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof. f

The knife-blade A is provided with a rear or tang portion a, which extends along clear through the handle B, or between the opposite side parts b b thereof, that edge a of the tang which extends rearward from the splitting-down edge C of the blade beingpreferably made to conform to the edge b of the handle, which is concaved or hollowed out lengthwise, while the other edge a2 of the tang extends rearward from the cutting-off edge D of the blade, and is preferably concealed or embedded in the handle, which by itsconvexed edge b2 entirely conceals this edge of the tang, which is indicated by a dotted line in Eig, l of the drawings, which also shows the four rivets c by which the handle is fastened securely to the tang. The handle is of essentially oval form in cross-section, except that the edge b2, between the points b3 and b4, has a flat portion B', which provides a rest for the thumb of the operator.

An opening E, which is made clear through both the handle and the metal blade-tang, is adapted to receive the first or index finger of the hand of the operator, while his thumb bears upon the fiat portions B', and whose other three lingers will grasp or rest on the back edge b of the handle, while the opposite edge b2 rests in the ball or palm of the hand. This opening E, being made through the metal blade-tang, as well as throughy the wooden or other material of the handle, prevents splitting of the latter, as the draft or pulling strain of the finger in using 'the implement will be taken by both the tang and outer side portions of the handle, whereby durabilityof the handle and the entire knife is assured.

The splitting-down edge C of the knifeblade is'convexed or curved backward lengthwise relatively with the longitudinal center of the handle B, and its extremity c is made quite sharp or angular, as seen from the side of the implement, and preferably by concaving the knife-blade at f, and the right-angularly-prolonged or broader end portion F of the blade is also preferably convexed at f to the extremity d of the angularly-disposed cutting-off edge D of the implement, this edge being preferably concaved or rounded at d at the point of junction of the body and end portions of the blade.

In using the knife for harvesting tobaccoplants it will be grasped with the forefinger passed through the handle-opening E, and while t-he palm of the hand bears on the edge b2 of tho handle the tobacco-plant stalk will be split down by the edge C of the blade to within three or four inches of the ground, the backward convexity of the edge allowing this to be done7 While the hand and Wrist keep quite natural relative positions, thereby preventing tiring orexcessive strain of the wrist during this operation. The broad forward end of the knife-blade serves as a guide to facilitate the true central splitting of the stalk. After the stalk is thus split, to facilitate subsequent hanging of it and to promote the curing of the leaves to the best advantage the opposite angular edge D of the knife will be used to cut off the stalk quite close to the ground, these operations being rendered quite easy by the reliable hold the foretinger has on the handle within its opening E, in

i connection with the bearing of the thumb on the fiat portion B of the handle, this hold making a very tight grasp of the handle by the fingers quite unnecessary, whereby cramping or disabling of the fingers or hand Ais IOO avoided and prolonged use of the knife in 2. A tobacco cutting' or pruningknife haventting or pruning tobacco or other plants is ing a blade Whose tang extends along the permitted Without discomfort or inconvenhandle, said handlehavng aforenger-reeeivience to the operator. ing opening which extends also through the 15 5 Having thus described my invention, I blade-tang, which tang re-enforees the handle claim as new and desire to secure by Letters at said openingnbstantially as described.

Patentn Y T l. A tobacco cutting or pruning knife pro- PElER J' BERB ARD' vided in its handle with a transverse forelitnesses:

1o finger-receiving opening, substantially as de- WILLIE O. DUDLEY, scribed. PETER S. BOOTH. 

